Choked Up
by Scarlet Secret
Summary: Laura helps Robbie clear out a cupboard. Pure fluff,  and dust .


Choked Up

Lewis was distracted by the coughing.

_Well, _he thought as he hurriedly reached the small room by his front door, _choking is a bit more accurate._ Grimacing he rubbed the Doctors back as she all but doubled-over attempting to breath.

"Robbie..." She eventually wheezed. "When was the last time you cleaned this place?"

Choosing not to answer immediately he instead placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her into the kitchen, all but forcing a glass of water on her in an attempt to cease the coughing. Eventually Laura seemed to regain some control on her breathing and Robbie couldn't help but feel extremely guilty when he saw how pink she had become. In the course of helping him sort through all the junk he had acquired in his flat, albeit with the promise of free wine and food at the end of the day, Laura had been looking for anything resembling cleaning utensils and had been attacked by four years worth of undisturbed dust build-up.

"What's in this cupboard anyway? I nearly choked to death exploring it so I think I deserve to know what you're hiding in there."

He returned to the cupboard and dragged an overflowing cardboard box half-way towards the living room.

"Stuff from the attic in the old house. I didn't sort through it before I left, just shoved it all in storage, and then in here."

She pointedly dragged the box further into the room, allowing herself the luxury of sitting down while she examined it and rolling her eyes at Robbie not even considering this.

"And you need my excellent organisational skills for all this?"

He delved deep into the box and pulled something out, sending dust, a variety of plastic flowers and half a dozen photographs flying. She rolled her eyes again but couldn't help but smile.

"Where shall I put these?"

He held up a pair of leather trousers that Laura was quite convinced had not seen the light of day since 1983. Containing a grin she wondered whether she would ever be able to get him into good enough shape that he'd wear them again.

"Charity shop bag."

"And these?"

Glasses, two of them. Crystal looking.

"Keep. I'll give them a clean. Try to make them fit for human use again."

"And this?"

Wedged down one side of the box he withdrew a framed painting. The initial impression Laura got was that this was the physical imprint of cats being strangled. The colours clashed spectacularly and the image itself seemed to have been water damaged, causing what was already a fairly hideous picture of (Laura had to turn her head to make it out better) what appeared to be a man riding a horse into a grotesque and almost monstrous amalgam of the two creatures.

"Good god Robbie, the skip! It's hideous, where in the name of god did you get that?"

"I think it was a Christmas present off an uncle of mine."

"His name wasn't Dorian Grey was it?" Robbie grimaced along with her. "I can put up with a great deal but I need you to promise me you'll never _ever_ buy anything that hideous yourself."

"Duly noted pet." As he stood up to toss the painting into the black bag Laura had allotted for rubbish he kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for doing all this."

"Well I wanted to make sure you didn't bring anything like that into my house. I trust your judgement but I'm starting to wonder about some of your extended family. Maybe you should take me up to Newcastle to meet them so I can diagnose how much your mind's going to go in the next ten years?"

He rolled his eyes and ignored the slight on his family, feeling it was fair.

"Me Mam warned me about Doctors. Said you were a dodgy bunch and I wasn't to tell 'em anything in case they drugged me up."

"Your mother thought I was wonderful."

It was true. The one and only time Laura had been introduced to his mother had been years ago when she had come from Tyneside to visit him and Val – she had insisted on being introduced to some of his friends from Oxford and Laura had been drafted in as the most respectable of the bunch.

"Do you think she'd approve of me now?"

"Definitely."

His decisive response made her smile but she still held onto her doubts. They had yet to tell Mark about their planned co-habitation, indeed Laura remembered with some dejection, Mark didn't even know that his father had finally began the long process of moving on from his late wife. Lynn was slightly better informed; the last time she had visited they had still been attempting to find time to have a dinner and after giving them both searching looks she had taken Hathaway to one side and seemed very pleased when she came back.

Still, Lynn didn't know any of the newer developments and Laura wasn't relishing the thought of Lynn's reaction to her dad springing a change of address on her when she next visited.

In a moment of blind panic Laura realised that the next visit would probably be Christmas – she couldn't remember the last time she'd been part of a couple for Christmas and certainly not one this secure – and she might be expected to cook and play host and buy presents and good God! Was Lynn old enough to be considering children? Because she's have to childproof the house and learn how to talk to children and –

"Laura, are you alright?"

She hadn't noticed the iron grip she had on the coffee table and summoning her best reassuring smile for Robbie she took a deep breath. And duly inhaled another cloud of dust.

Choking once more and doubling over in her seat she dimly registered that she'd never seen Robbie move so quickly when he ran to fetch her another glass of water and slid himself next to her.

"Here, drink this love."

Eventually her breathing returned to normal and instead of immediately going back to their chore Robbie pulled her against him and settled them back on the sofa.

"What was the big panic about?"

"Panic?"

"I'm not daft Laura, talk to me."

She buried her head in his shoulder.

"Just contemplating my possible future as a Grandmother."

"What?"

"Forget it. Actually no...Robbie...the kids, are you planning to tell them?"

"Of course I am. I'm sorry I've been such a sod about it but I was waiting till I saw Lynn in person."

"At Christmas?"

His brow furrowed with confusion but she urged him to carry on.

"No, she's coming sooner than that. I've got loads of plans for us all, found a show on and booked a few restaurants in advance - it was going to be a surprise. I was going to tell her then."

The earnestness in his eyes did her in. She'd never known a man who just_ cared_ so bloody much and she leant in to kiss him, squeezing his hands in her own as she did so.

"You're not angry are you?"

She kissed him again.

"No, not angry."

Laura settled back into his chest and refrained from revealing that she found it impossible to be angry at him.

"Robbie, shall we get back to work?"

"Aye, the sooner I'm all moved in the better."

As she watched him return to his suitcase in the bedroom she felt the panic leave her completely and decided to buy a cookbook on the way home.


End file.
